Safety guard for pool ladder



March 28, M slNGER SAFETY GUARD FOR POOL LADDER Filed Oct. 12, 1965 United States Patent 3,311,195 SAFETY GUARD FOR POOL LADDER Murray Singer, Massapequa, N.Y. (4626 N. 28th Court, Hollywood, Fla. 33023) Filed Oct. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 495,142 1 Claim. (Cl. 182-230) This invention relates to a safety guard for swimming pool ladders.

The use of ladders for swimming pools, especially for use with the large size plastic pools is dangerous to small children who may climb the ladder and fall therefrom into the pool.

This invention is shown and described by means of an illustrative embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the safety guard shown in use on a ladder such as is commonly used with outdoor plastic pools, the ladder being in outline,

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the guard on the ladder, and

FIG. 3 is a detail cross section view of a hook used to secure the safety guard to the ladder.

Turning to the drawing, a flat preferably plywood or aluminum board is provided with a suitable length to cover several steps of the ladder and With a suitable width to cover the steps of said ladder. The board is preferably smooth surfaced on both sides and of suitable thickness so as to be of relative light weight, yet rigid and not susceptible to warping.

The board 10 may be painted any desired colors which may be colors of a Warning nature such as red or yellow.

The board 10 is thus of a rectangular configuration. It is provided wtih a pair of lifting handles 11 adjacent the top edge 12. The handles are located a suitable distance from the bottom edge 13 so that child can not reach them.

Any of the conventional handles obtainable in the trade are operable in this invention.

The rear of the board is provided with clip hooks 14, preferably three in number.

As shown in FIG. 3, the hook is provided with a flat portion 15 which is provided with an aperture to reach a rivet 16 to engage the board 10 in a permanently secured manner.

The hook 14 made of flat strap metal and is also provided with an integral horizontal portion 17 which is at such an angle to the flat portion 15 as to engage a step 18 of a ladder 19 in a planar manner.

The hook 14 is also preferably provided with an integral depending curved portion 20 to effect a spring like snap action over the step 18 and thereby engage the 3,311,195 Patented Mar. 28, 1967 step 18 in a locked relationship with the curved portion 20 being disposed in part beneath said step.

The board 10 is preferably provided with three hooks 14 but safety boards having but two or even one hook are operable for securing to a ladder because of the force of gravity on the board when in operable positions.

Securing hooks of a design other than that shown are operable, so that hooks having a planar flat depending portion in lieu of the curved depending portion 20 are operable.

The hooks 14 are preferably made of corrosion resistant metal but they can be made of suitable plastic material. The board 10 itself may be made of plastic material if desired.

The hooks are preferably of a clamping configuration and they may be adjustable to different sized steps.

The safety guard of this invention is not to be limited to the illustration shown but it covers all boards which deny a foothold on the ladder.

What i claimed is:

As an article of manufacture, a safety guard for swimming pool ladders comprising a flat smooth planar board of a length to cover several ladder steps and of substantially the width of the ladder, handle means disposed on the front surface of said board adjacent the top edge thereof and a plurality of spaced-apart Z-shaped spring hooks, each hook having a top suitably sloped apertured flat portion adapted to fixedly engage the board in planar relationship, said top portion being integral with a flat middle portion of a length substantially equal to the Width of a ladder step and adapted to engage said step in planar relationship, said middle portion being integral with a fiat suitably curved depending spring portion adapted to be disposed in snap lock relationship behind said ladder step with the curved portion seizingly engaging the step with extension beneath said step thereby providing a safety lock thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 271,509 1/1883 Nolton 182121 X 577,693 2/1897 Rodgers et al l82-29 2,432,206 12/ 1947 Mott 182-421 3,225,863 12/1965 Ludlow 182-77 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,061 12/ 1926 Netherlands.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner. 

